Plein air experience at Little Round Top, by Linda Young Watercolors

Little Round Top, watercolor

9 x 12 (unframed)

(photographed by John Pitman)

When I finally arrived at Little Round Top to paint, Claire B Carnell already had a beautiful landscape well on it's way to completion.   (I loved the colors she used and that dear little building in the background captured my attention.)  At a recommendation from her, from the day before, she reminded me to keep in mind when I paint--"it's plein air".  Asking for an explanation of what that meant to her she told me the original artists from "long ago" just painted sketches which showed the colors in them.  There wasn't a lot of detail, just the values of what were before me.  Here is my interpretation of the plein air day at Little Round Top.

To tell you the truth, I think I'm falling in love with plein air painting!

Linda Young watercolor paintings website

http://lindayoung.fineartstudioonline.com/contact



The Eisenhower Rose Garden, plein air by Linda Young

"Mamie's Joy"

8-1/2" x 10'1/2" Watercolor

I actually felt as if I had Ike's thoughts running through my head when I painted this scene.  I could imagine him standing in the very place I was standing and gazing out on Mamie's and his rose garden.  Looking out over the grassy meadow and hearing the moo of the cows.  His putting green sits right in the yard; but after many years from lack of use, the green was in a poor state now. 

Here, the roses weren't in bloom now either and most of the flowers had lost many of their petals; but the color that remained hinted to me their true colors or as I imagined them to be...

As I painted, a tour guide walked by and said to me, "How did you know Ike painted from that spot? ...it even looks like you are using his easel".  

I guess Ike was really "with" me after all.

Artist Linda Young http://www.lindayoungwatercolors.com/ http://lindayoung.fineartstudioonline.com/contact